When you find an interior trend that seems to speak to you, the urge to suddenly re-decorate and transform your living room into an image you saw from Maison & Objet may take over. However, there’s a certain knack to bringing a trend into a well-used space, without turning it into one that will become easily dated or no longer comforting. By keeping these easy tips in mind, you’ll find that following a trend and bringing it into your home has never been simpler.

Be mindful of making big changes

Before you re-decorate, take into account your home as a whole and how a living room update will affect it. If you’re planning on changing a wall colour to fit the mid-century trend, perhaps opt for a tone that plays off your hallway colour, either contrasting or complementing it to create a sense of flow. Also, make sure to be mindful of your home’s characteristics when re-decorating. If you live in a period property, then the contemporary minimalist trend may not be the one for you.

Make your mark with soft furnishings

Maybe one of the easiest ways to introduce a trend, the use of soft furnishings makes updating the home accessible to anyone - including renters. A simple change of curtains, blinds and some new cushions or throw will add impact, without being invasive.

Never lose your personality to a trend

Unless your living room already fits you to a T, then you should never try to completely recreate a trend when introducing it into your home. What may look great in a magazine, won’t always feel great in a regularly used room. Keep the colourful painting that you love in pride of place above your sofa - even if you do decide on a white-washed-Scandi makeover. And remember, interior trends are there to guide your décor, not rule it.

Don’t feel the need to swap all your old pieces for new

The aim is to transform your room into a stylish one that works for you and your family, not give it a show-home look. As a rule of thumb, try to keep one or two key pieces of furniture from your past and update them rather than bin them. Stripping and whitewashing an old table, or re-upholstering a sofa can transform the look of a room, yet will still add a lovely lived-in touch.

Say it with lighting

It’s a dreary evening and all you want is a cup of hot tea and to relax. What’s the first thing you do when you walk into your living room? Switch on the light of course. An essential to any space, lighting has the ability to transform a room into a stylish, comforting one. A floor standing, statement light is an easy way to introduce any trend, as well as create calming and soft mood light.

Heart Home

Launched in September 2011, British Interior Design magazine Heart Home is a quarterly publication celebrating all that is unique and good about interior decor and lifestyle. Championing independent British Designers and inspiring readers to create their own great British Homes.

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